The final round of Premier League matches was played over two weekends due to the winter break, but there was plenty of exciting action throughout the game week.
On Saturday, Ivan Toney made a scoring return to the Premier League for Brentford as they beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.
Liverpool duo Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota also ran riot against an in-form Bournemouth side as Jurgen Klopp’s men won 4-0.
The weekend before, Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne made his own emphatic return as they left it late in a 3-2 win over Newcastle.
But there can only be one player who takes the top spot in this week’s power rankings.
Ivan Toney easily beat the Forest wall and outsmarted Matt Turner after moving the foam
Darwin Nunez scored a brace against Bournemouth as Liverpool extended their lead to five points
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10. Son Heung-Min (seven lower)
When Harry Kane left Tottenham in the summer, there were big questions as to whether Son Heung-min would be able to fill the void left by the England captain.
With 12 goals in the Premier League campaign – only one of which came from the penalty spot – the South Korean has clearly put an end to those questions.
And that continued when his side took on Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve, when he scored their second of the night to secure victory.
Now playing for his country in the Asian Cup, the Tottenham captain has fallen down the power rankings but still remains one of the top performers this season.
Son Heung-Min helped his side claim victory in his final Asian Cup match
9. Mohamed Salah (down eight)
Like Son, Salah has fallen down the rankings this week due to his absence from the AFCON.
But the 31-year-old is clearly at the top of the league’s total goals contributions, with his 22 (14 goals and eight assists) four better than Erling Haaland.
If the Reds star can continue this form throughout the season, there is every chance he can inspire Jurgen Klopp’s side to a Premier League title.
The Egyptian star has returned to Liverpool for treatment on a hamstring injury, which could rule him out for up to four weeks and prevent him from playing at AFCON again.
But Liverpool appear to be coping just fine without him after they beat Bournemouth 4-0 yesterday.
Mohamed Salah scored a brace to help Liverpool go three points clear against Newcastle
8. Richarlison (two up)
While many had written off the Brazilian after his struggles in front of goal last season, Richarlison continues to prove his doubters wrong in 2023/24.
The Tottenham forward has seven goals and three assists so far this season after adding to his tally against Man United.
There were suggestions that Spurs need a new striker and perhaps those arguments are still valid, but for now North London can rely on Richarlison.
With Son Heung-Min’s absence set to impact Ange Postecoglou’s side, Richarlison will play a leading role in the coming weeks.
Richarlison celebrates after scoring against Man United in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford
7. Cole Palmer (three down)
The former Manchester City winger has been nothing short of a revelation in West London since joining Chelsea this summer.
The £40million fee the Blues paid their league rivals is starting to look like a bargain as Palmer continues to light up the pitch for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
In the previous matchweek, Palmer played a key role in Chelsea’s dramatic 3–2 win against Luton Town, scoring twice and assisting the other.
Arguably his highlight of the match came in the second half, when he rolled the ball towards the goalkeeper, feigned a shot (to fool a defender) before firing it into an empty net.
He recently scored a crucial penalty against Fulham, earning three points for the Blues.
Cole Palmer remains one of Chelsea’s most lethal finishers in their big squad
6. Gabriel Martinelli (new entry)
Arsenal secured a much-needed win against Crystal Palace on Saturday to get their title challenge back on track.
Although Martinelli has not been in his best form so far this season, it was a surprise that Leandro Trossard was chosen over him.
Despite this, the Brazilian scored a late brace to seal a 5–0 win over struggling Crystal Palace.
Martinelli’s goal tally has now doubled to four and he will be hoping to kick-start his season from here.
Two late goals helped Arsenal to an extremely convincing 5-0 win against Crystal Palace this weekend
5. Gabriel Magalhães (new entry)
The Brazilian centre-back has been in fine form this season and there was no exception against Crystal Palace.
Gabriel Magalhães scored a goal with a towering header in the 11th minute and almost had another goal, but it was awarded an own goal by Dean Henderson.
His dominant performance in front of goal and in defense earned him the Man of the Match award.
In addition to his goal and assist, he completed 88 percent of his passes, won eight duels and committed five turnovers.
It was a truly brilliant all-round performance from the 26-year-old, who received rave reviews from team-mate Declan Rice.
The Brazilian central defender received a lot of praise after his excellent performance on Saturday
4. Ivan Toney (new entry)
After eight months out of action following a gambling ban, Toney will be delighted with his performance against Nottingham Forest.
The England striker led from the front and showed the Brentford fans why he was worth the wait.
His free-kick in the 19th minute was his first goal since April 2023 and it must have felt extra sweet.
But it wasn’t just his goals that proved so valuable; it was also his willingness to drop deep and ask for the ball that was vital to Brentford retaining possession.
If Thomas Frank’s side are to achieve any success this season, it seems almost certain that Toney will be central to it.
The England centre-forward earned the Man of the Match award in his first match back
3. Darwin Nunez (new entry)
Darwin Nunez has continued to divide opinion since his big-money transfer from Benfica in 2022.
The Uruguayan has scored a total of 16 goals in 49 appearances for the Reds, and his play has been on the rise of late.
The 24-year-old was electric against Bournemouth on a cold and windy evening as he scored twice to seal the win.
With Salah’s absence at the moment, there is an opportunity for Nunez to become the Reds’ leading man in their bid to stay top of the table.
Nunez has been in good form this season and Liverpool are now five points ahead
2. Kevin De Bruyne (new entry)
Finally, Pep Guardiola has his main playmaker back after a long absence due to injury.
De Bruyne looked to pick up where he left off during City’s 3-2 win over Newcastle.
The Belgian effortlessly stroked a ball into the corner of the goal just after making it 2-1.
He then delivered one of the best assists we’ve seen this season for the youngster Bobb, giving Guardiola the win.
His presence on the pitch alone and the way he transformed City’s playing style will be a huge concern for the rest of the league.
Pep Guardiola will be happy with the return of Kevin de Bruyne to his team at a crucial point
1. Diogo Jota (new entry)
In first place is none other than Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, who was simply excellent against Bournemouth.
The former Wolves man was at the heart of everything the Reds did on Sunday night.
In addition to assisting Darwin Nunez’s opening goal of the match, he also scored two himself.
Jota was the star during Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth on Sunday
The 27-year-old has certainly stepped up in the absence of Mo Salah, who is at the AFCON.
He showed great maturity in his build-up play and, crucially, was there to score important goals to help his side.
With Salah out injured indefinitely, Klopp will want to wrap Jota in bubble wrap for the time being.